India: Kejriwal accuses BJP of planning to implement revoked 2020 farm laws through 'backdoor'

The chief of Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Arvind Kejriwal, on Thursday (Jan 2) accused the Indian central government of planning to implement the revoked 2020 farm laws. Kejriwal said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is responsible for the ongoing indefinite fast by the farmers in India's Punjab. They are protesting in demand of a legal guarantee on the MSP (Minimum Support Price) for their crops.

In a post on the social media platform X, Kejriwal wrote that if anything happened to the protesting farmers, the BJP would be responsible for it.

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"Farmers in Punjab have been sitting on dharna and indefinite hunger strike for many days. Their demands are the same which the central government had accepted three years ago but has not implemented yet. The BJP government has now reneged on its promise. The BJP government is not even talking to the farmers. Talk to them. They are the farmers of our own country. Why is the BJP so arrogant that it does not even talk to anyone?" Kejriwal wrote.

पंजाब में किसान कई दिनों से धरने और अनिश्चित अनशन पर बैठे हैं। इनकी वही मांगे हैं जो केंद्र सरकार ने तीन साल पहले मान ली थी लेकिन अभी तक लागू नहीं की। बीजेपी सरकार अब अपने वादे से मुकर गई। बीजेपी सरकार किसानों से बात तक नहीं कर रही। उनसे बात तो करो। हमारे ही देश के किसान हैं।…

He further added, "May God keep the farmers in Punjab who are on indefinite strike safe, but if something happens to them then the BJP will be responsible for it."

Kejriwal further said in his post that the government is preparing to implement the three dark laws, which were withdrawn by it three years ago due to farmers' agitation, through the "backdoor" by calling them "policies". He even added that the central government has sent a copy of the policy to all the states to know their views on it.

The farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal has been on an indefinite fast since November 26, 2023, in demand of a legal guarantee of MSP. He has also denied any medical assistance, which has led to his health being a major concern for many.

(With inputs from agencies)